


we were so tiny, happy and shiny

by paperdream



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Child Agnes Montague, Child Avatars, Child Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist Has ADHD, Kid Fic, i don't know what this is, not edited even a little
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-28 20:33:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30145197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paperdream/pseuds/paperdream
Summary: When the Archivist finds out that the Lightless Flame has their own messiah, practically his age, obviously they were meant to be friends.
Relationships: Agnes Montague & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist
Comments: 5
Kudos: 83





	we were so tiny, happy and shiny

**Author's Note:**

> idk fam. this just happened idk. title is from "Beautiful" from the Heathers musical

Jon had first learned about Agnes Montague when Elias started muttering darkly about “taking a page out of the Lightless Flame’s book” on a day where the boy had caused one two many headaches. The Eye had been happy to elaborate, offering as many details as it had available- the Cult’s devotees weren’t overeager to give Statements about their would-be messiah, but it was enough. Jon felt it was hugely unfair that he hadn’t been told there was another avatar like him.

So, when things around the Institute got too boring, he packed up everything he needed for an adventure and set out for Hilltop Road.

It didn’t occur to him until he was practically on the doorstep that the house on Hilltop Road was a stronghold of the Web. Stupid, that was why he’d dismissed Elias’ threats as empty and focused on Agnes in the first place; however much the man despised the “child” part of having a child Archivist, he wouldn’t willingly put Jon into the hands of another Power like that. Least of all the Web, after what happened that time Jon had snuck into Artefact Storage.

He swallowed at the memory, looking up at the house with trepidation. Without the Knowledge of what it contained, it was too average to be properly imposing. Jon tried to focus on that and gripped his recorder tightly to his chest, raising a hand to knock.

The door swung inward before he made contact, and he didn’t hide the way he slumped and sighed in relief. The front hall was empty as he stepped inside, looking around the interior for hidden spiders or Desolation avatars. “Hello?”

A clatter of footsteps sounded from the upper floor, and a round face peered over the banister, pinched in irritation. “What are you doing here?”

Jon Knew without Asking that this was Agnes. She was a bit older than him- 13 years to his 9, Beholding helpfully supplied- and her hair was more brown than red, which Jon thought would be more thematically suitable. He smiled and waved. “You’re like me.”

Confusion crept into Agnes’ expression, though it only made it more sour. “ _What?”_

Jon blinked foolishly for a moment before remembering that most people didn’t Know everything about him without trying. He was used to Elias and Jonah and Gertrude, and the Institute employees who had known him long enough that it was almost as good as Knowing him. “You’re like me,” he repeated. “You’re made of Desolation like I’m made of Eye. I’m the Archivist!” He was still very proud of the title, which he had only been allowed to adopt after his eighth birthday. Agnes’ expression didn’t calm.

She cocked her head to the side. “I didn’t know the Eye was trying to make another like me.”

Jon shrugged. “It wasn’t on purpose.” At least, Elias and Gertrude seemed to think so. He was less sure of Jonah, but the man’s mind remained frustratingly hidden from him. Someday.

“Did you come here alone?”

Jon looked around himself pointedly, using it as an opportunity to check for spiders again. He was sure there were some hidden somewhere, listening. “Do you see anyone else?”

There was nothing supernatural about the way Agnes’ eyes lit up at the admission. It was simply the same cruel glint Jon had seen in the eyes of numerous other children- usually older and bigger than him, but not always- during his few experimental brushes with normal schooling and occasional trips to the playground. Jon hiked his shoulders up without thinking; half the reason he’d come was that Agnes was supposed to be  _different_ . She couldn’t think he was weird when she was an avatar too!

“ I wonder how long it would take for your stupid Institute to realize you were dead,” she said, tone unchanged. “How much it would  _hurt_ . You must be awfully important to a lot of people.” The temperature of the room seemed the be gradually warming. Jon shifted uncomfortably.

“It’s not stupid!” People always said rude things about the Institute because they didn’t understand it’s true purpose, but Agnes was like him! She knew about the Powers, she was supposed to understand! Beholding had no input on this baffling turn of events. “I shouldn’t have come.” Jon made sure to stomp as he rounded back toward the door to make his exit. It wasn’t fair! Why did all the other Eye avatars have to be so  _old?_

“Wait!” Agnes called. Jon glanced back, unable to stifle his curiosity about what she would say. “I’m sorry I said I’d melt you, I promise I won’t.”

Jon ran back over her words. Huh. She had said that, after insulting the Institute. The adults were going to be so angry with him. He crossed his arms, keeping his ever-running recorder cradled between them. “Why should I believe you?” He was very careful not to Ask. 

“Because I can burn anyone, but you’re the only other one like me, right? That’s why you came?” Something urgent threaded its way through Agnes’ voice, and Jon was surprised to realize that in addition to the burning Desolation that permeated her every molecule, she was lightly cloaked by the Lonely as well. No enough for a Mark, but enough to be a danger. He had heard Elias fretting over the same thing in regards to himself. 

He checked with the Eye before answering; he hadn’t thought to ask, assumed that if there were other children made of the Entities he would already Know. But he hadn’t Known about Agnes. “Right.” 

Agnes, he thought, was a girl unused to feeling unsure of herself, especially around those smaller and (physically) weaker than her. Her uncertainty was tainted with anger at its own existence. “Do you want- I mean-”

Jon decided to take pity on her- he already Knew what she was trying to ask, after all. “I wanted to know if you wanted to be friends.”

“Yes!” Agnes’ face lit up, the first non-threatening positive emotion he’d seen from her. They nodded and smiled at each other before Agnes tepidly added, “Is that it? To be friends?”

Jon scrunched his eyebrows. “Friends do things together.”

Agnes nodded. “We could…” She trailed off. Jon Knew she was going to suggest going to the shop for sweets, because the other children living in Hilltop Road sometimes asked Raymond for loose change to do just that, but realized she wouldn’t be able to eat the sweets without them melting.

Jon didn’t interact with other children often enough to know what they did firsthand. Sometimes Statements talked about going out with friends, but they could hardly go to a bar, and Jon didn’t think he wanted to. “We could go to the movies?” he ventured.

Agnes nodded decisively. “I know where Raymond keeps his money. I’ll be right back.”

As they trotted out of Hilltop Road, Jon thought about holding Agnes’ hand- he was pretty sure that was also a thing that friends did- but thought better of it. Most people’s friends couldn’t scorch skin from bone. 

Jon let Agnes choose the film, since she was the one with the money and he would Know the ending before even making it inside anyway. Normally he didn’t like movies, but this was different. Normally he just went with Elias. There was nearly trouble when the woman selling tickets nearly told them they were too young to go to the film Agnes chose, but Jon caught it in time and helpfully distracted her with a memory that made her shudder and set her off-kilter enough to give them the tickets without comment.

The two child avatars smiled as they took their seats in the theater, equally unaware of the tellings off they would receive when they returned home.

**Author's Note:**

> Comment and kudos if you want more of... this, I guess. idk i wanted baby gerry too but couldn't come up with a way to fit him in, maybe i'll decide continue the adventures of these terrible children if the muse strikes again. 
> 
> I guess in this AU Jonah got a similar no aging deal to John Amherst and Simon Fairchild, and Elias is a regular Institute employee with his canon pre-Institute encounter stuff, but then he accidentally became A Whole Avatar. Jonah responded to this possible kink in his plans by making him an archive assistant in all but name (he can help gertrude but she can't HAVE him, no way then they'd have jonah outnumbered) until Jon comes along, at which point he is basically pressganged into being his nanny????? this fic came to me like a waking dream don't worry too much about the details.
> 
> Or you can find me on tumblr @inklingofadream


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